Negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are making steady progress, China said on Friday, as efforts continue to ease tensions in their most serious conflict since the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 2021.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said both sides had welcomed Beijing’s mediation and were willing to resume dialogue. “This is a positive development,” she said, noting that China remains in close communication with both governments.

Beijing— which shares a border with both countries—has stepped up diplomatic engagement in recent months, including calls with foreign ministers and a visit by a special envoy in March. Previous rounds of talks have reportedly taken place in Urumqi, though officials did not confirm the latest venue.

China has positioned itself as a facilitator, aiming to create conditions for dialogue and provide a platform for negotiations. Mao said further details would be released jointly by the three countries “in due course.”

Clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces since October have killed dozens on both sides, with Afghan civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. Islamabad has accused Kabul of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks—an allegation Afghan authorities deny, calling militancy a domestic issue for Pakistan.

The renewed diplomatic push signals cautious optimism that tensions between the neighbors could ease through sustained dialogue under Chinese mediation.

The Embassy of Iran in Afghanistan, citing Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, has called on doctors worldwide to respond to recent attacks on hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and medical research institutions in Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces.

The embassy specifically urged Afghan doctors and healthcare staff to support Pezeshkian’s appeal and, in coordination with international organizations, raise the voice of the medical community against what has been described as a blatant attack on humanity.

This appeal aims to emphasize the protection of healthcare facilities and the safeguarding of human health during times of war and crisis.

So far, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not issued any official response regarding this appeal.

U.S. Army Chief ​of Staff Randy George was fired on Thursday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, three U.S. defense officials told Reuters, in ‌the latest purge among the Pentagon’s most senior ranks, Reuters reported.

Even as Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing a general during wartime is nearly without precedent.

The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year left in his term, “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief ​of Staff of the Army effective immediately.”

The Pentagon said in a statement it was grateful for George’s decades of service. “We wish ​him well in his retirement,” it said.

Two of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Hegseth has ⁠also fired General David Hodne, who leads the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, head of the Army’s Chaplain ​Corps.

The department did not give a reason for George’s departure, which comes as the U.S. military builds up its forces in the Middle East ​while carrying out operations against Iran.

The U.S. strikes in the region are largely being carried out by the Navy and Air Force, although U.S. Army soldiers have been dispatched to the Middle East for air defense systems. The Army is the largest branch of the U.S. military, with about 450,000 active-duty soldiers.

Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s ​elite 82nd Airborne Division have also started arriving in the Middle East, potentially for ground operations in Iran.

There had been no ​public signs of friction between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth pursued controversial moves such as firing the Army’s top lawyer and arranging a massive military parade ‌to celebrate ⁠the Army’s 250th birthday, which coincided with Trump’s birthday, read the report.

Earlier this week, Hegseth also reversed an Army decision to investigate Army pilots who were flying attack helicopters near singer Kid Rock’s house, in an apparent show of support for the vocal Trump backer.

CBS News, which first reported the dismissal, said it was not related to the Kid Rock incident.

One of the officials said Hegseth’s former military aide and Army vice chief of staff, General Christopher ​LaNeve, will take over George’s role ​in an acting capacity.

Another of ⁠the officials added that senior Army leadership learned about George’s firing at the same time as it was made public.

George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed to the top Army post in ​2023. Terms in that role usually run for four years.

Prior to holding the top job, George was ​the vice chief of ⁠the Army and, before that, the senior military adviser to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The two worked together to take on large defense companies, in the Army’s drive to speed up weapons development and drive down costs.

George’s removal adds to recent upheaval at ⁠all levels ​of leadership at the Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of ​the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and Air Force vice chief of staff.

The office for George did ​not immediately respond to a request for comment.